Masonry Magazine September 2005 Page. 22
STONE
Despite the challenges, bluestone proved to be an excellent choice for the Baltimore Visitor Center.
TOP RIGHT THIS PAGE: Daytime shot of the Baltimore Visitor Center, The Design Collective, Inc. of Baltimore.
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building cladding. Typically, bluestone is used as an exterior paver for surrounding pools or placed on terraces. In most cases, the installation uses the common random sizes of natural shapes with a wide range of color. In this case, the architects were looking for large, rectangular panels with a very subtle color range. Locating the right quarry that could produce bluestone with these requirements and in the quantities necessary proved to be a significant challenge.
Another challenge arose during the joint work. The original intent was to use a colored mortar in the joints to match the understated tone of the stone. Using several mock-up panels, the architects observed that the bluestone had such a porous quality that it wicked the colored mortar into the perimeter of the panel.
Chris Harvey, a partner at Design Collective, worked for several months with contractors and vendors to get mounting, sealing and grouting processes worked out. "We set panels out for weather checks and monitored the 'aging process," Harvey explains. "Our solution was to use a colored sealant that would additionally allow for movement with the stone. The final installation also contained a water sealant."
In the end, despite the challenges, bluestone proved to be an excellent choice for the Baltimore Visitor Center. With the site located on the West Shore of Baltimore's famous Inner Harbor, the stone's very subtle reflective quality enhances the building's appearance by 20 Masonry September 2005 www.masoncontractors.org